Method of manufacturing liquid discharge head

Abstract

The method of manufacturing a recording head has a flow path wall forming step of forming flow path walls on a substrate having energy generating elements formed thereon, an imbedded material depositing step of depositing an imbedded material between the flow path walls and on a top of each flow path wall, a flattening step of polishing a top of the deposited imbedded material, until the top of the flow path wall is exposed, and a step of forming an orifice plate on the tops of the polished imbedded material and the exposed flow path wall. In the step of forming the flow path walls, patterning of a close contact property improvement layer is simultaneously performed to improve a close contact property between the flow path wall and the substrate.

1. A method of manufacturing a liquid discharge head, comprising:
 an adhesive layer coating step of coating an adhesive layer made of a polyether amide resin on a substrate including an array of energy generating elements which apply, to ink, energy for discharging the ink; 
 a flow path wall forming step of forming, on the adhesive layer, a flow path wall disposed for the energy generating elements; 
 an adhesive layer forming step of etching the adhesive layer by use of the flow path wall as a mask to pattern the adhesive layer; 
 an imbedded material depositing step of depositing an imbedded material on the substrate having the flow path wall formed thereon so as to cover the flow path wall; 
 a flattening step of substantially flatly polishing a top of the deposited imbedded material, until a top of the flow path wall is exposed; 
 an orifice plate forming step of forming an orifice plate on the tops of the polished imbedded material and the exposed flow path wall; 
 a discharge port forming step of forming a discharge port in the orifice plate; and 
 an eluting step of eluting the imbedded material, 
 wherein the imbedded material depositing step is performed after the adhesive layer forming step. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of manufacturing the liquid discharge head according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a step of hardening the flow path wall after the flow path wall forming step and before the imbedded material depositing step. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of manufacturing the liquid discharge head according to  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer is patterned by dry etching in the adhesive layer forming step. 
     
     
       4. The method of manufacturing the liquid discharge head according to  claim 1 , wherein the flow path wall and the orifice plate are made of the same resin. 
     
     
       5. The method of manufacturing the liquid discharge head according to  claim 4 , wherein the flow path wall and the orifice plate are made of a negative photosensitive resin, and the imbedded material is made of a positive photosensitive resin. 
     
     
       6. The method of manufacturing the liquid discharge head according to  claim 1 , further comprising, before the eluting step, a step of etching the substrate from a face opposite to a face provided with the discharge energy generating elements, and forming an ink supply port which communicates with the ink flow path,
 the eluting step including a step of eluting the imbedded material from the formed ink supply port. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of manufacturing the liquid discharge head according to  claim 6 , wherein the mask for forming the ink supply port is formed on the back of the substrate in a state in which the imbedded material is deposited so as to cover the flow path wall. 
     
     
       8. The method of manufacturing the liquid discharge head according to  claim 1 , wherein a polyether amide resin of an outer peripheral portion of the substrate is left by patterning of the adhesive layer. 
     
     
       9. A method of manufacturing a liquid discharge head comprising:
 a flow path wall forming step of forming a flow path wall disposed for energy generating elements on a substrate including an array of the energy generating elements which apply, to ink, energy for discharging the ink; 
 an imbedded material depositing step of depositing an imbedded material on the substrate having the flow path wall formed thereon so as to cover the flow path wall; 
 a flattening step of substantially flatly polishing a top of the deposited imbedded material, until a top of the flow path wall is exposed; 
 an orifice plate forming step of forming an orifice plate on the tops of the polished imbedded material and the exposed flow path wall; 
 a discharge port forming step of forming a discharge port in the orifice plate; 
 a step of etching the substrate from a face opposite to a face provided with the discharge energy generating elements, and forming an ink supply port which communicates with the ink flow path; and 
 an eluting step of eluting the imbedded material, 
 wherein a mask for forming the ink supply port is formed on the back of the substrate in a state in which the imbedded material is deposited so as to cover the flow path wall.